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TV: Know Your Roots! Derrick Baskin, Lisa Howard, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and More Prep for 'SPELLING BEE' Reunion!

By: Jun. 27, 2015
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The nine original cast members of the hit Broadway musical, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE - Jenni Barber, Derrick Baskin, Deborah S. Craig, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Dan Fogler, Lisa Howard, Jose Llana, Jay Reiss, and Sarah Saltzberg - will reunite for a special one-night-only 10 Year Anniversary benefit concert on Monday, July 6 at 7:30pm at Town Hall (123 West 43rd Street). BroadwayWorld caught up with the company in rehearsal - see what they had to say about the nostalgia, the concert and more!

The evening will also feature celebrity guest spellers, who will attempt to beat Putnam County's spelling legends, including Chip Tolentino, William Barfee, and Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre. Best of luck to them.

The one-night-only event will benefit The Actors Fund's Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative and is being held in memory of Andrea "Spook" Testani Gordon, the beloved production stage manager of the original Broadway and off-Broadway production, who passed away on November 30, 2014 following a battle with cancer.

This special concert is being directed by James Lapine and Darren Katz, featuring musical direction by Vadim Feichtner and Carmel Dean, and is produced by The Actors Fund with Natalie Gershtein as line producer.

THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE features book by Rachel Sheinkin, music and lyrics byWilliam Finn, and direction by James Lapine. Based on "C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E," an original play by The Farm, the production was conceived by Rebecca Feldman and featured additional material by Jay Reiss. It premiered on Broadway on May 2, 2005 following sold-out runs at Second Stage Theatre and the Barrington Stage Company. The critically acclaimed musical was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and won two: Best Book of a Musical (Rachel Sheinkin) and Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Dan Fogler). The production ran for nearly three years closing on January 20, 2008 after playing 1,136 performances.




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